Related: Encore to live

Q & A | Huang Bo

Were you aware of the challenges that To Live would pose technically?

That is the reason I wanted to participate in it. The novel has a wide readership and people would visualize the story. If we fail to fulfill their imagination, they would be discontented. With this kind of audience expectation, it is daunting to create a stage work.

What I needed to do was to externalize what's in the book in a way that fits what people had in their minds when they read the book.

Director Meng Jinghui approached me two years ago about this project. I was cautious because of the heavy subject. He played down the difficulty of the creative process. I decided to take it on because I felt it would be a hard nut to crack and it would be "chewable". I prefer projects that interest me and challenge me. On top of that, the role has to fit my age and come with the right team. Had I played Fugui years ago, my level of knowledge, understanding and dramatic expression would have been insufficient; if I do it 10 years from now, I would not have the physical strength.

To Live has a strong sense of history. How did you prepare for the role? Specifically, how did you balance the comedy and tragedy? Were you in emotional control for the climactic scene of bottle smashing?

It was not until I joined the project did I realize the theme of the story, how fate shapes an individual, becoming his friend or foe and possibly accompanying him for a lifetime. Whether in the past or in the future, and whether in China or other countries, there are all kinds of stories like To Live and people like Fugui. The root of comedy is actually tragedy. It is through stretching upward or downward of this force that breeds conflict and power.

Smashing the bottles is my physical reaction to the death of my "son". With the passing away of each character, my reaction is physically different. This is Fugui's first loss of a loved one and I need a very strong movement to express it. No matter how hysterical I look, however, I need to be in control of my body.

Did you plan your career and choose your roles according to your plan?

Everything has to come at the right time. It is different to walk 10 miles or 100 miles, and even the degree of fatigue and sightseeing would be different. So, I follow how I feel and eschew a clear plan, and I take on roles that touch me.

Were you surprised at the public feedback? Will you reprise the role come the second run?

I knew I would not do too badly, but I was caught off guard by the critical acclaim. The credit should go, first of all, to the original work with its sophistication and power, and also to the director and all the stage elements. Since I put so much into the project, I would definitely join the future run of the play.

It does not make financial sense for movie and television stars to do stage work. What was your biggest reward?

It's true that we lose money by doing stage plays. But this gives me the chance to present an emotionally continuous and instantly responsive performance in front of a live audience. I can experience the connection between myself and the stage and the venue, which is miraculous. It is therefore a worthwhile undertaking.

When I read and watch movies, that input is like eating, a process of absorbing. Performing in movies and television is my output. But work in a stage play is like chewing, finding all the nutrients in things I thought I had absorbed, but worth going over again and that will enrich me. A play can have a thousand ways of presentation, and I can learn from the whole process of experimentation and discovery. That's my biggest reward.

China Daily